Barge handling system

ABSTRACT

AN AUTOMATIC, REMOTELY CONTROLLED BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM FOR INTALLATION ON A BARGE LOADING DOCK WHICH INCLUDES A MAIN HAUL BARGE PULLER APPARATUS AND BARGE SNUBBER APPARATUS. THE PULLER APPARATUS INCLUDES: A MAIN HAUL ROPE, SHEAVE MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING THE ROPE SO THAT ONE RUN THEREOF EXTENDS ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DOCK, SPACED HAWSERS CLAMPED TO THE RUN WITH EYES ON THE OUTER ENDS THEREOF FOR ATTACHMENT TO A BARGE, AND, A POWERED WINCH, PREFERABLY OF THE FLUID DRIVE REVERSIBLE TYPE, FOR DRIVING THE ROPE AND PULLING A BARGE CONNECTED THERETO ALONG THE DOCK. THE BARGE SNUBBER APPARATUS HAS TRACK MEANS ADAPTED TO BE INSTALLED ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE DOCK IN THE LOADING AREA THEREOF WITH FORE AND AFT SNUBBER CARRIAGES MOUNTED ON THE TRACK MEANS FOR RUNNING THEREALONG. A CABLE OR ROPE IS CONNECTED WITH EACH OF THE CARRIAGES AND SHEAVES ARE PROVIDED FOR SUPPORTING AND GUIDING EACH SUCH CABLE. A REVERSIBLE POWERED WINCH IS PROVIDED FOR OPERATING OR MOVING EACH SNUBBER CARRIAGE OVER WHICH THE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE ASSOCIATED CARRIAGE RUNS SO THAT THE SAME MAY BE MOVED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS ALONG THE TRACK. A HAWSER IS ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE SNUBBER CARRIAGES FOR CONNECTION TO A BARGE CLEAT OR THE LIKE. THE MAIN HAUL ROPE AND EACH OF THE CABLES CONNECTED TO THE SNUBBER CARRIAGES, EACH RUNS THROUGH A TENSION COUNTERWEIGHT TOWER FOR MAINTAINING PREDETERMINED TENSION ON EACH ROPE OR CABLE WHILE PROVIDING PAY-OUT AND TAKE-UP MOVEMENT FOR ACCOMMODATING SURGE, STORM, AND TIDE CONDITIONS TO WHICH A BARGE MAY BE SUBJECTED. THE POWERED WINCHES FOR OPERATING THE MAIN HAUL ROPE AND EACH OF THE SNUBBER CARRIAGES MAY BE REMOTELY CONTROLLED FROM ANY SUITABLE POSITION INCLUDING AN OVERHEAD BARGE LOADING CAB SO THAT THE OPERATOR HAS FULL AND CONVENIENT CONTROL OVER THE BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM.

Sept. 21, 1971 *w SAXQNME'YER 3,606,855

BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM Filed July 22, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 RR 0M N T W A mN m A .S J. m L N W Sept. 21,-1971 w. J. SAXONMEYER BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM Filed July 22, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR WALLACE J. SAXONME YER Sept. 21, 1971 w. J. SAXONMEYER BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 22.. 1969 INVENTOR WALLACE J. SAXONMEYEF? S p 7 w. J. SAXONMEYER 3,506,355

v BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM Filed Ju1 '22, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR WALLACE J. SAXONMEYER United States Patent 3,606,855 BARGE HANDLING SYSTEM Wallace J. Saxonmeyer, Park Forest, Ill., assignor to Whiting Corporation Filed July 22, 1969, Ser. No. 843,492 Int. Cl. B631) 21/00 U.S. Cl. 114-230 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic, remotely controlled barge handling system for installation on a barge loading dock which includes a main haul barge puller apparatus and barge snubber apparatus. The puller apparatus includes: a main haul rope; sheave means for supporting and guiding the rope so that one run thereof extends along the front edge of the dock; spaced hawsers clamped to the run with eyes on the outer ends thereof for attachment to a barge; and, a powered winch, preferably of the fluid drive reversible type, for driving the rope and pulling a barge connected thereto along the dock. The barge snubber apparatus has track means adapted to be installed along the front edge of the dock in the loading area thereof with fore and aft snubber carriages mounted on the track means for running therealong. A cable or rope is connected with each of the carriages and sheaves are provided for supporting and guiding each such cable. A reversible powered winch is provided for operating or moving each snubber carriage over which the cable connected to the associated carriage runs so that the same may be moved in opposite directions along the track. A hawser is attached to each of the snubber carriages for connection to a barge cleat or the like.

The main haul rope and each of the cables connected to the snubber carriages, each runs through a tension counterweight tower for maintaining predetermined tension on each rope or cable while providing pay-out and take-up movement for accommodating surge, storm, and tide conditions to which a barge may be subjected. The powered winches for operating the main haul rope and each of the snubber carriages may be remotely controlled from any suitable position including an overhead barge loading cab so that the operator has full and convenient control over the barge handling system.

This invention relates, generally, to innovations and improvements in barge handling systems adapted to be automatically and remotely controlled, and more particularly, to innovations and improvements in the main haul barge puller apparatus and in barge snubber apparatus for use in combination in such a system and for installation on a barge loading dock.

The capabilities and operation of the barge handling system of the present invention are such that a barge may be connected to the main haul barge puller apparatus at the empty barge receiving end of the dock and then controllably moved through the intermediate loading area to the loaded or discharge area at the opposite end of the dock. In passing through the intermediate loading area of the dock, the barge will be connected with the snubber apparatus so that it is under full remote control by an operator during its appropriate progressive movement along the dock as the various holds thereof are filled.

, The barge handling system provided by the present invention, including a main haul barge puller apparatus and barge snubber apparatus, is such as to adequately cope with all of the usual conditions encountered in handling a barge or similar vessel at a loading dock, including surge, storm, and tide conditions that may occur.

The object of the present invention, generally stated,

is the provision of a barge handling system of the class described, and including the provision of a main haul barge puller apparatus and barge snubber apparatus therefor, characterized by the systems ruggedness, simplicity, flexibility, reliability, adaptability for remote control and low maintenance.

Certain other more specific objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention, reference may now be had to the following detailed description thereof, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan diagrammatic view illustrating a barge loading dock having a remotely controlled barge handling system installed thereon, including a main haul barge puller apparatus and barge snubber apparatus, made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a reeving diagram of the main haul barge puller apparatus of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a reeving diagram of one unit of the barge snubber apparatus forming part of the installation shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing the track and snubber carriage forming a part of the unit shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a powered winch serving as a main barge puller in the main barge haul apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a tension counterweight tower which may be used in the main haul barge puller apparatus and also in the barge snubber apparatus of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the tension counterweight tower of FIG. 6 is viewed from the left hand side;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the tower in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the front edge of a barge loading dock is indicated at 10 which typically can be about 1350 feet long and suitable for loading barges which may typically be 2.90 feet long. One such barge is indicated at 11, being shown in solid line at approximately the center of the loading dock and being indicated in phantom outline in other positions including where it enters the loading dock empty at the right of FIG. 1 and leaves the loading dock loaded at the left of FIG. 1.

The main haul barge puller apparatus extends from a bollard 12 at the entering portion of the dock to a bollard 13 at the discharge end. This apparatus includes an endless wire rope or cable 14 having one run along the edge of the dock which is substantially straight and uninterrupted as indicated at 15. 1

The main haul barge puller apparatus also'includes main barge puller indicated at 16. which is in the form of a powered winch, preferably of the fluid drive, double drum, continuous type, and which will be described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 5. In addition, there are two tension counterweight towers indicated generally at 17 and 18 of a construction that will be described hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 6-9.

A suitable number of appropriately positioned sheaves 2020 are provided for guiding and supporting the wire rope or cable 14.

The dock-edge run 15 of the wire rope 14 has a pair of wire rope hawsers 21 and 22 adjustably clamped thereon in known manner with eyes provided on the free ends thereof for hooking over the inboard cleats of a barge 11.

As will be described more completely hereinafter, the main haul barge puller apparatus is operated in such a manner that the wire rope 14 may be driven in the direction to position the hawsers 21 and- 22 adjacent the entering portion of the dock so that the eyes thereon can be hooked over the inboard cleats of an empty barge at the entering position. Then by appropriate operation or control of the main barge puller 16, the wire rope 14 is moved so as to pull the barge 11 at the times, and for the distance increments desired, to the opposite end of the dock where the hawsers 21 and 22 may be cast off from the filled or loaded barge before it leaves the dock area.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the barge snubber apparatus installed on the clock comprises right hand and lefthand units which are indicated generally at 23 and 24, respectively. Except for being right handed and left handed in arrangement, the barge snubber units 23 and 24 constituting the barge snubber apparatus are identical and hence, only the right hand unit 23 will be described. This unit comprises a fixed track section 25 mounted on the forward edge of the dock 10 and which will be described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 4. The track section 25 supports a snubber carriage 26 which is adapted to run from one end of the track section to the other, being propelled by its attachment to the front run 27 of a wire rope or cable 28. The cable 28 is guided and supported in appropriate manner by a plurality of sheaves 30-30 and runs through a reversible, continuous, fluid drive powered winch or rope drive unit indicated generally at 31. The unit 31 may correspond in construction and operation to the main barge puller unit 16 except that unit 31 may be lighter and of smaller capacity. The cable 28 also runs through a tension and counterweight tower indicated generally at 32 which provides for take-up and pay-out in the endless cable or rope 28 so as to counteract surge, storm, tide or other similar conditions affecting the dock area.

The carriage 26 On each of the barge snubber units 23 and 24 is provided with a hawser 33, the free end of which has an eye 34 which is adapted to hook over an outboard cleat on the adjacent end of a barge 11 in the loading area. The length of the hawsers 33 should be such, or so adjusted, that when pulled taut the fleet angle they make with the front edge of the dock 10 is approximately 45 as indicated in FIG. 1.

In the interests of safety, providing additional support, and preventing accidental damage to the barge handling system, the wire ropes or cables 14 and 28-28 may be encased in protective pipes or conduits, preferably at or below the dock level.

Reference may now be had to FIGS. 4 through 9 for a more detailed description of the various elements of the system that are shown therein.

Referring to FIG. 4, the track section indicated generally at 25 comprises an I-beam track member 35 mounted over the front edge of the dock 10 by a plurality of support formations 36-36 which are anchored to the top side of the dock as shown, in known manner. The carriage 26 comprises upper and lower plates 37 and 38, respectively, which engage the upper and lower edges, respectively, of the track member 35 as shown. The plates 37 and 38 are interconnected by a vertical longitudinal plate 39. The upper plate 37 supports a set of upper rollers 40-40 mounted on pins 4141 and a corresponding set of lower rollers similarly mounted (not shown). The upper set of rollers 40-40 runs between the upper vertical flanges of the track member 35 which constitutes guide and support rails therefor while the lower set of rollers runs between the lower vertical flanges.

The front run 27 of the wire rope or cable 28 has a loop 19 which is hooked over a roller 29 carried on one end of the lower plate 38. The other end of the cable 28 has a similar loop hooked over a corresponding roller mounted on the opposite end of the plate 38. The hawser 33 is attached to a vertical pin 42 which extends through over hanging portions of the plates 37 and 38. It will be seen that by this arrangement the cable or rope 28 may be pulled in either direction carrying with it the carriage 26 and the attached hawser 33. The carriage 26 is shown in phantom in two positions on the opposite sides of the position it is shown in solid line to illustrate its movement in opposite directions.

. Reference may now be had to FIG. 5 for a description of the main barge puller unit 16. A mounting base 50 is provided which may be suitably anchored onto the dock 10. Suitably positioned and mounted on the base 50 is an electric motor 51 the shaft 52 of which is suitably connected by a coupling 53 to the input shaft 54 of a speed reducer unit of known type 55 also mounted on the base 50.

The output shaft 56 from the speed reducer 55 carries a pinion gear 57 which meshes with and drives a large spur gear 58 carried on one end of a shaft 60 suitably journaled on pillow blocks 61 and 62 mounted on the base 50. Inwardly of the pillow block 61 the shaft 60 carries a pinion 63 which drives a ring gear 64 fitted over a driver drum 65. The driver drum 65 is provided with trunnions 66 and 67 which are journaled in bearings 68 and 70, respectively, mounted on the base 50. An idler drum 71 having trunnions 72 and 73 is similarly journaled in bearings 74 and 75, respectively, mounted on the base 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the wire rope or cable 14 makes a number of passes around the driver drum 65- and idler drum 71 thereby providing adequate frictional engagement between the drums and the rope 14 to provide adequate pulling force without slippage.

It will be understood that the motor 51 is of the reversible and variable speed type. Preferably, the gear reducer 55 is of the hydraulic or fluid drive type.

The driving units 31 for the barge snubber apparatus may correspond in construction to the barge puller 61 but will be of lighter construction and include electric motors and speed reducers of less capacity since the load placed on these units by the snubber apparatus is substantially less than that placed on the main barge puller unit 16. For example, typically the main barge puller 16 will have a capacity of 30,000 pounds maximum starting rope pull and will deliver 15,000 pounds running rope pull. With this capacity, the unit 16 can move a barge having a gross ladened weight of 35,000 tons at a speed of approximately 25-30 feet per minute within a 5 to 6 second acceleration. The drive units 31 for the snubber apparatus may typically have a capacity of 15,000 pounds maximum starting rope pull and deliver 7500 pounds running rope pull with a snubbing hold capacity equal to the starting rope pull of 15,000 pounds.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, the structure of the tension counterweight tower 17 is shown therein, it being understood that tension counterweight towers 18 and 3232 have the same construction. The tower 17 has a base that may be fabricated from standard structural members such as channels and I-beams. The tower 17 includes a vertical frame supported on the base 80' comprising a pair of upright corner posts 81 and 82 in the form of T members with their bottom ends mounted on the base 80 and carrying a cross member 89 (FIG. 9) at their upper ends. A vertical channel member 83 is mounted at its lower end on the base 80 and at the upper end supports the convergent ends of two angle members 84 and 85 extending from opposite ends of the header or cross member 82 (FIG. 9).

Intermediate the upright 83 and the corner posts 81 and 82, is a vertical I-beam 86 which is supported on the base 80 and which extends upwardly to the underside of a fabricated cross member 87 at the top of the tower. The cross member 87 extends from the upper end of the channel member 83 to the midpoint of the header or cross member 89 and includes spaced side plates through which pins 88 and 90 extend so as to support sheaves 91 and '92, respectively.

The base 80 has two pairs of spaced upstanding plates 93-93 and 94-94 on opposite corners of the tower 17 which support suitable hearings in which stub shafts '95 and 96, respectively, are journaled. A sheave 97 is mounted on the shaft 95 and a sheave 98 is mounted on the shaft 96.

A third sheave 100 of the same size as sheaves 97 and 98 and located therebetween is carried in a frame 101 which is vertically movable between the bottom and the top of the tower 17. The frame 101 comprises a pair of spaced plate members 102 and 103 (FIG. 8) between which the stub shaft 104 extends on which the sheave 100 is rotatably mounted. The outer face of plate 103 is provided with a pair of angles 105 and 106 the outwardly projecting legs of which bracket the opposite sides of the vertical channel member 83 in guiding relationship therewith. The plate 102 is provided on the outside with a small cover disk 107 over the adjacent end of the pin 104 with the plate having guiding engagement with the adjacent side of the vertical I-beam 86.

At the upper end of the frame 101, a pin 108 (FIG. 6) extends to which the lower end of a cable 110 may be secured. The cable extends upwardly over the smaller sheaves 91 and 92 and the other end thereof is secured to a support 111 (FIG. 7) centered on the top of a counterweight 112. The counterweight 112 is capable of moving vertically between the top and bottom of the tower 17 and is confined in its movement between the two uprights or corner members 81 and 82 and the adjacent side of the I-beam 86.

In order to support the counterweight 112 in a raised position while appropriate adjustments or repairs are made on the tower 17, a removable support 113 (FIG. 7) is provided which may be removably secured, as by means of bolts, to the adjacent side of the I-beam 86. When not in use the support 113 may be removed and secured on one side of the I-beam as indicated in broken lines.

The manner in which the tower 17 operates to provide and maintain tension on the rope 14 while providing payout and take-up movement will be apparent from the foregoing description of the structure thereof. Thus, in operation the support member 113 will be stored and normally the counterweight 112 will move upwardly and downwardly from an intermediate position with the frame 101 and sheave 100 doing likewise. That is, the counterweight 112 and sheave 100 will normally be at approximately the same height and between the top and bottom of the tower 17. If for some reason slack comes onto the rope or cable 14; this slack will be taken up as rapidly as it develops by the counterweight 112 falling and the sheave 100 rising. Conversely, should extra tension be applied to the rope 14, the sheave 100 will fall while the counterweight will rise.

It will be understood that suitable control circuits of known type are provided for the motors of the main barge puller 16 and the snubber winch units 3131. Preferably, each of these units is provided with one set of control buttons at the unit itself and another set at a remote location such as in an overhead barge loading operators cab 115 (FIG. 1). The control buttons for the main barge puller 16 will include in addition to off and on buttons, buttons for forward, reverse and stop." Each of the power winch units 31 for the right and lefthand snubber units 23 and 24 will be provided with its own separate off, on, slack and taut control buttons for separate operations and then one set of for ward, reverse and stop buttons will be provided for controlling both power winch units 31-31.

In operation, when an empty barge 11 enters the dock area at the right (FIG. 1) the operator in the overhead barge loading cab will operate the main barge puller unit 16 in such manner as to bring the hawsers 21 and 22 on the dock-edge run of the main barge puller rope 14 up to the right-hand end of the dock where the eyes on the end of the hawsers may be put over inboard fore and aft cleats on the barge. The operator will then reverse the direction of the rope 14 so that the front run 15 thereof will move the barge 11 into the loading area. He will then operate the snubber units 23 and 24 so that the powered winches 31-31 thereof bring their respective carriages 2626 hawsers 3333 into position where the eye '34 of the right hawser 33 of the snubber unit 23 may be hooked over an aft outboard cleat on barge 11 while the eye of the hawser 33 of the left snubber unit 24 may be hooked over a fore outboard cleat. The operator will then place the desired tension on the hawsers 33 the length of which have been previously adjusted so that the fleet angle which they make with the front edge of the dock 10 is approximately 45.

The operator can now load the fore hold of the barge 11 and then by operating both the main barge puller 16 and the powered winches 31--31 of the snubber apparatus advance the barge hold-by-hold as required to sequentially fill the same. After the aft-most hold has been filled, slack may be applied to each of the hawsers 33 and the same cast off from the barge. Then the main puller unit 16 will be operated to move the barge to its left-most position on the dock. 'Ihe barge is then suitably connected to a tug and the hawsers 21 and 22 on the front run 15 of the rope 14 cast off.

It will be seen that when the barge 11 is secured to both fore and aft hawsers 22 and 21 of the barge haul line 14 and to the fore and aft hawsers 33 on the barge snubber lines 28, variations in barge level relative to dock level as the result of tide, surge or barge loading, will be compensated through the automatic line payout and takein actions provided by the counterweight towers 17, 18 and 3232. Furthermore, no further physical line handling is required until barge loading is complete.

I claim:

1. In combination with an elongated barge loading dock having a relatively short loading area, a barge handling system including main haul barge puller apparatus extending approximately the length of said dock and barge snubber apparatus extending approximately the length of said loading area, said main haul 'barge puller apparatus comprising; a main haul rope sheve means for supporting and guiding said rope so that one run thereof extends along said dock, hawsers attached to said one run of said main haul rope for attachment to a barge or the like, and powered winch means for driving said rope and pulling a barge connected thereto along said dock; said barge snubber apparatus comprising track means extending along said loading area of said dock, fore and aft snubber carriages mounted on said track means for running therealong, a cable connected with each of said carriages, sheave means for supporting and guiding each cable, a reversible powered winch for moving each snub ber carriage over which the table connected thereto runs whereby each carriage may simultaneously be moved in opposite directions along said track means, and a hawser attached to each of said snubber carriages for connection to a barge cleator the like.

2. In the combination called for in claim 1, said main haul barge puller apparatus including at least one tension counterweight tower through which said rope runs for maintaining predetermined tension thereon while providing limited pay-out and take-up movement for said rope independently of said power winch means therefor, said barge snubber apparatus having a tension counterweight tower for said cable connected with each of said snubber carriages for maintaining predetermined tension on each cable to provide limited pay-out and take-up movement therefor independently of said reversible powered winch for said cable.

3. In the combination called for in claim 2, each of said tension counterweight towers comprising a pair of spaced upright stationarily positioned guide sheaves for said rope or cable mounted in the same vertical plane, vertical track means intermediate said guide sheaves, a sheave-carrying frame vertically movable in said vertical track means and carrying a sheave disposed in approximately the vertical plane of said guide sheaves, second vertical track means, a counterweight vertically movable in said second vertical track means, and pulley and cable means interconnecting said counterweight and said sheave-carrying frame whereby when said counterweight is in its uppermost position said sheave-carrying frame is in its lowermost position and vice versa.

4. A barge snubber apparatus for a barge loading dock having means for controllably pulling a barge along said dock past a loading area thereof, said barge snubber apparatus comprising; track means adapted to be installed along the loading area of said dock, fore and aft snubber carriages mounted on said track means for running therealong, a separate cable for each of said carriages, sheave means for supporting and guiding each cable in a closed elongated loop having a front run including at least a portion following said track means and a rear run generally paralleling said front run, a separate reversible powdered winch for each snubber carriage, said front run of each cable being connected to one of said carriages with said rear run of each cable being wound in part on the drum of one of said winches whereby each carriage may simultaneously be moved in opposite directions along said track means, and hawsers attached to each of said snubber carriages for connection to a barge cleat or the like.

5. The barge snubber apparatus of claim 4 wherein a tension counterweight tower is provided for said cable connected with each of said snubber carriages and through which the attached cable runs for maintaining predetermined tension on each cable and providing limited payout and take-up movement thereto independently of said reversibly powered winch for said cable.

6. The barge snubber apparatus of claim 4 wherein said track means is in the form of an I-bearn and each of said snubber carriages comprises a pair of plates which slidably engage said I-beam from opposite sides whereby each plate engages one pair of edges, means supportably interconnecting said plates, and one set of rollers mounted on the inside of each of said plates and engagably running between the adjacent flanges of said I-beam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,221,012 4/1917 Anderson l14230 1,318,467 10/1919 Travell 254-178 2,071,168 2/1937 Kersting 114-230X 3,336,896 8/1967 Burnett 1157 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner 

